3rd August 2017 - Miss Camilla M - Club La Costa Points
"Never possible to book anything, not possible to use referral system, very difficult to get any information from CLC. This is only costing us money, more every year, and we get nothing for it"
We receive comments, questions and queries from scores of troubled Club La Costa Timeshare, Points & Fractional owners members each month and have published a few recent examples below.
To find out about the recent landmark legal case against Club La Costa, please click here.
Or, for more comments from other CLC customers, click here.
"Never possible to book anything, not possible to use referral system, very difficult to get any information from CLC. This is only costing us money, more every year, and we get nothing for it"
"We were conned into this scheme. We've never uses it and have lost 100's of thousands of pounds"
"Hi, we got totally ripped off by CLC and the whole experience nearly cost us our home. We eventually had to settle nearly £30k and we never even got to take a holiday! The whole thing nearly cost me my marriage as well and it hasn't really left us to be honest, it is always nagging in the back of our minds. Not sure if, or how, we reclaim anything back. I would appreciate any advice you can give us and look forward to hearing from you soon. Regards. David"
"We really want to escape this situtation. We contacted CLC and they advised us that its 'not their problem' that we want to leave!!! Can you advise please?"
"I am still paying the monthly dues for my loans that I have paid in full for my timeshare with Club la Costa. The annual administrative and maintenance fee is increasing every year hence I have just stopped paying them. I have only been able to use it once. I would like help to recover the principal amount I have paid in full for my timeshare. Kind regards"
"This fraction was taken out while we were in Spain and we have been trying to get rid of it for over 2 years now. We are unable to make payment because it is too high and we just want to get rid of it now. We are fed up and it is really stressing us all out."
"I have been in contact with a Spanish legal company, after going through my documents they have said that as all CLC's registered addresses are outside Spain, they cannot pursue my case through the Spanish system. Can you help?" Read More...
"Was sold a timeshare by CLC around 2007/8 ish. Could never use points as holidays we wanted were never available... Was lied to to sign in first place, and conned into signing up for more points."
"We felt bullied into upgrading our timeshare. We were told if we ever wanted to sell that they would buy back. This was not the case. Club La Costa should not be allowed to get away with miss selling this product."
"Due to change in personal circumstances we are considering of withdrawing from CLC. We have not used it to full capacity and hence we are in credit to lot of points. Started in 2006, upgraded in 2009, we are now platinum. Not approached CLC yet. Unsure how to proceed and what we may be entitled to. Any information would be helpful, Thank you."
"Extortionate interest rate on loan unable to sell back to them although they said we could. Hard sales kept at the complex for at least 6 hours they had to take us back to get partners diebetes medication due to length if time there he was becoming very distressed Don't use the product at all. I have lost my job and have asked them to purchase the product back they said they can not. Can not pay the yearly fee they said I could do it in instalments. I don't feel they are compassionate to peoples situations. Please please advise I am desperate."
"We join Club la Costa some years go. They got has a loan will huge interest which we are still paying for. it has been a difficult journey can you help. Cancelled Ioan."
"During our 'free' holiday at CLC's Malaga resort in Easter 2016, my wife and I were asked to attend a compulsory presentation at CLC's offices which took up a whole day. Basically we were rushed into signing up for a fractional ownership of one of their signature suites. We now feel that we were mis-sold this product and feel totally conned by this fraudulent outfit (what was Jenny Bond thinking?). We are desperate to get out of this since:
We would therefore be very interested to hear from anyone who has any legal or practical advice on how we can extricate ourselves from this complete rip- off!
Patrick and Georgina"
"My mum originally bought the shares in 2005 and it was transferred to me in 2013. How can I get out of this?"
"Paid a lump sum upfront plus annual maintenance charges - could never book weeks we wanted - totally useless customer service!"
"Both my husband and I feel we were not made fully aware of the cost of the annual maintenance and the restrictions on when we would be able to take the holidays where we wished to go."
"Hi. We were mis-sold and had to pay a deposit upfront. Also no availability at all, so can't even use our points."
"I was mis-sold a timeshare back in December 2015 and would like some advice into relinquishing the contract."
"Have tried complaining to them, but feeling fobbed off. Then complained again, now over two weeks nothing back from them. Had no choice but to holiday somewhere other than wanted to as time was booked off work. Resort was in disrepair and not at all suited for wheelchairs which was part of the promise to being sold the package."
"We were told the maintenance fee wouldn't go up but this year it's over £1500. We also thought you could book holidays from the brochure/website but the ones in England are impossible to book. We currently have a lake district holiday on hold for next year booked through the cessation weeks from another company but had to pay more and it can't even be confirmed until the owner pays next years fees. We would prefer the uk now but there's hardly anything to what we were shown at the start in 2007. Even the place in Cornwall that we liked is closing and when you try to book the other one 2 years in advance its not available. And now we hear 'anyone' can book through last minute.com and other websites for the same Spanish holidays as members. Totally fed up and our membership cost over £15,000."
"Management fees gone up this year by 10%, not happy. New resorts always out of my points range. Tried to sell us fractions, had a valuation of 19000 for the points I own as long as I paid another 20000 for a share of a property - they must be joking! Want to get out altogether as retired now and won't be able to afford fees after this year."
"Any help would be appreciated. We can never get holidays as no availability."
"Conned in to buying 2 fractions and now can't afford the maintenance."
"We just signed up in August 2016 after being locked into an all morning plus afternoon conference. First payment made in October now we want way out please help. Haven't informed CLC yet. They gave us 500 points free holiday for Tenerife but apparently there is no 2 bedroom available for family of 4, and is never available. Feels disgusting. Pls help and advise. Desperate... can't afford and don't want kids to have to carry this on"
"I want to pursue Club La Costa for mis-selling the product and get money back and interest and terminate contract."
"Pressured into buying a timeshare in Spain back in 2009, completely misled and worried about debt collectors turning up at my door one day…"
"We are locked in with CLC and really want out. Our fees rise annually and like others we are unable to book what we want when we want. As well as rising annual maintenance fees we have to pay the loan for fractional ownership and £200.00 every time we want to book a holiday."
"Looking for options to release from CLC contract and receive a refund towards the original investment made."
"I just want free from the whole contract... paid out so far 100's of pounds and nothing to show for it ..... I just want out I don't want compensation, just a clean break"
"I am interested to know how I may dispose of the Club La Costa Timeshare, which I understand is subject to a Court ruling. "
"I just need to get out of my membership. I simply can not afford it anymore due to changes in my financial circumstances. Can you please help."
"Club la Costa has become a real burden, we were pressured into the initial membership and get hounded whenever (not often) we take a holiday."
"Wish to cancel our Club La costa timeshare due to High maintenance fees and no availability when trying to book."
"Hi, we signed CLC contract August last year and soon realised it wasn't beneficial to us. We called to cancel but we're told to go and find a buyer to purchase it. This is unbearable, please help. Thanks."
"Can't book anything - and they didn't tell me anything about a maintenance charge."
"I'm not even certain of what we were sold as the system is so complicated. We were given the hard sell on a promotional holiday in Spain and spent 12 hours being talked into it. There is never availability for what you want, when you want, the maintenance fees are the same as a holiday itself and we just want out!! When I asked about cancelling, she said we could, but all that meant was that we could no longer use the resorts and we wouldn't have to pay the maintenance fees but we would still owe them nearly £15K...who would do that?? Please help! We have now moved to France and are both self employed so we can not longer afford the maintenance fees."
"Would like advice on our options for getting out of our timeshare contract with Club la Costa."
"No one explained how you book holidays was told we could use our time on short breaks etc then after signing and going on " free" holiday we feel we got dumped paying £4000 for nothing"
"My children are also on the deeds but I don't want them to be stuck with this in future. Also want to sell fractions as I am now retired and need to cut back on outlays."
"We were pressured into buying points about 16 years ago. Its a long story…"
"Tied into to Club La Costa membership and I want out and a refund."
"We think we truly stuffed by Club La Costa and then even more by RCI points. We should have 251,000 points and have ended with nothing from our substantial investment."
"Signed up last year, just had our 'free week' and feel very Mis-sold. All they want is money, money, they now tried to sell us more points as we can't have what they promised! Thought we could travel the world, definitely not, very limited options!"
"Enquiring about my rights as a fractional points owner if I wanted to get out of the contract."
"I have CLC points for 15 years as platinum member and it costs me €2150 per year maintenance. Not been able to use for years due to medical grounds for my son and daughter. Is there any way I can get back some of the £29000 I've paid?"
"Paid £500 deposit on day tried to get out of timeshare as husband lost his job but they demanded £1000 maintenance fees before first payment due but still would not let us out of contract, we had trial 3 year clc for 7 holidays we only had 2 then got talked into 15 year fractional time share."
"We have 5001 points we no longer wish to continue after 16 years as maintenance is to high and never any availability."
"Bought into CLC last year. Just back from another hard sell holiday. Realised after next year we won't get the holidays we want. Yet to inform CLC we want to cancel. Need advice."
"Only purchased last September after a very hard sell. Can never book holidays when I want and can no longer afford it."
"Bought this over ten years ago and not used it for years due to the yearly fees."
"Please advise, CLC hounded us into buying into Timeshare in 2012 and got us to sign a financial agreement on the day."
"Destinations club. I wish to cancel but they tell me that I can't."
"I traded in my points (which I have had for over 15 years) and paid an extra £7/8K for fractional property as CLC Manager told me I would have something to sell! My children will not want to take over my points when I die - is there any way out? I have been contacted on a regular basis by companies telling me about the new law but don't know who to trust anymore!"
"We have 2 independent witnesses who can corroborate everything we were told we have so far paid them in excess of £60,000 for a few off-peak weeks in Tenerife and a week in Las Vegas."
"Enquiring on behalf of my parents. They bought a fractional property in Turkey off plan and now its built it isn't as described at all."
"Bought into CLC in 2001 since when have been persuaded to increase committment but now find no availability and then Hustyns - our favourite uk stay - is closed without any word from CLC."
"We phoned Club La Costa to ask if we could sell or get out of the contract but they have said its not possible. We only used the timeshare facility once and my daughter used it once. We are worried that it is "in perpetuity" and as we are now almost 70 would like to be re-assured. We were never comfortable with the association and their rep came to our home and we felt compromised to pay the rest of the deposit. I remember it was around £6-7,000 which was a great deal of money to us."
"We have been mis-sold a fractional membership. Purchased July 2015. Please help us get out of it."
"Keen to know how we can stop our membership due to maintenance costs etc"
"We took up the fractional option and feel that we have not been dealt with in an honest way and mislead about the fraction."
"Trying to stop crippling loan and management fees for good by getting rid of missold fraction timeshare from clc. Do not have funds to hire a lawyer."
"I'm not sure if any of this applies to me . But when we took out the Club La Costa Timeshare we were financially secure we thought we could pay the cost of the Timeshare but after a year the amount that my husband was paying doubled, and my husband was payed off from his job. We never managed to get a holiday out of it, unless you count the ones that we were taken over there by Club La Costa and sold more shares. We are now being pursued by Barclays bank with a totally unreasonable interest rate and quite frankly want to get what we were meant to pay back to get Barclays of of our backs . We are afraid we may lose our home because we foolishly signed up for this . Please could you help?"
"Agreed to time share yesterday signed a number of documents plus bank details had second thoughts going back to see them today to cancel what should I ask for to stop them continuing the process?"
"We cannot afford our fraction or the maintenance,. How do we exit?"
"We were given a loan to pay for the first six months. We have not received this yet but due to circumstances cannot afford this now."
"Looking for advice as we where offered an upgrade but used the fourteen day cooling off period to cancel the upgrade, but we still have our original fractional agreement."
"Bought the membership using their recommended loan provider, can't ever get the resorts we want when we want."
"I bought Club la Costa points - I purchased with a deposit on a credit card and Club la Costa got us a loan for the remainder from a finance company in Jersey or Guernsey. I couldn't afford to pay the maintenance … or the loan off. I felt I was conned."
"Hi, We regrettably purchased timeshare with Club La Costa several years ago. We tried to sell it unsuccessfully as the company that did it for us proved to be another scam. What option do we have, if any, to reclaim back some of the money that we parted with? They put up the service charge to £1000 a year too, which was not explained to us at the time we bought. Thanks, Sheena."
"Stuck with a debt, fees too high and cannot afford holidays after not being able to refinance as advised by CLC"
"Would like to be free of Club la Costa as we believe we were mis sold it."
"We have heard of potential for claims against CLC and are interested to talk to someone about our options"
"We have reading about timeshare mis-selling and newspaper articles saying we can claim money - is this true? If so how do we claim back?"
"We have been with CLC for 10yrs + but are concerned about the possibilty of perpetuity leaving out kids in debt."
"We have been with CLC for 10yrs + but are concerned about the possibilty of perpetuity leaving out kids in debt."
"Would like to get out £1000 a year management fees"
"Have been a member since 2006 approx. but cannot get hols I want. Talked into purchasing Fractional ownership to get out of it eventually. Then they introduced booking fees for Fractional owners at 10 pence per point and then increased this to 15 pence booking fee for every point. This works out at an extra £600 per year for 4000 points on top of maintenance fees. Now up for sale, but no interest at all. Have spent approx £42,0000 - £45,000 over 10 yrs and need to get some or all of it back."
To find out about the recent landmark legal case against Club La Costa, please click here.
Or, for more comments from other CLC customers, click here.
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The first and most important step on the way to exiting your timeshare contract is to seek independent, expert advice on your options.
Any promises made about your timeshare having a resale value are likely to be false. There are 100s of timeshares being offered for sale right now on eBay for 99p... but nobody buys them due to the enormous fee commitments that they carry.
To get a truly independent view of how to rid yourself and your family of your timeshare burden, see your Timeshare Exit Options now.
Timeshare ExitThe timeshare industry has been largely unregulated, as timeshare falls outside the laws that govern property sales or “investments”.
This means timeshares have routinely been sold in high-pressure environments, with false promises often being made and never fulfilled.
However, recent landmark legal rulings now mean that as many as 150,000 Timeshare, Points or Fractional ownership contracts are illegal. To find out your Rights and whether you may be entitled to claim your money back, please take independent advice today.
Claims AdviceSome of the Timeshare, Points or Fractional owners we hear from have a clear idea of what they want to do, e.g. to cancel their contract or pursue a compensation claim.
But the vast majority haven’t decided what they want to do at all - and have often received confusing & conflicting advice from their resort, the “resale” companies and other timeshare owners.
If you are simply concerned that things aren’t right and want to get some initial guidance from the independent experts, then we’re here to help...
General Advice